It was a brutal start to James’ fourth straight NBA Finals appearance, one that had ESPN commentators mocking his fluid intake, #LeBroning becoming a meme (even making the TODAY show) and even a dig from Gatorade’s Twitter account. There has been plenty of focus on how this series will define James’ legacy compared to multiple title-winners Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Search “flu game” “Achilles” and “cramps” on Twitter this morning and you’ll get a good sense of the equivalencies plenty of fans are making between the trio.

It’s all ridiculous.

Can you put some responsibility on James for not being hydrated enough prior to the game? Maybe, but we’re also looking at the player averaging the most minutes per playoff game on either team. Anyone who has ever had their muscles seize up in the middle of a sporting event – a long distance race, a game, etc. – knows that there’s not much you can do in the moment if your body physically won’t let you. This isn’t a matter of desire or toughness or whatever gritty coachspeak is being tossed out from people who in many cases watched the game eating pizza on their couch.

All of those criticisms will be gone if he drops his playoff average 27, 7 and 5 on the Spurs in a Game 2 win and evens the series going back to Miami. The early slip-ups of his career – The Decision (and its subsequent title proclamations), the playoff failings in Cleveland, the unbearable high school hype before he had earned it – will always make James a lesser legend than Jordan (or Bryant) in the eyes of many NBA fans who are looking for any reason to diminish him.

But this isn’t 2007. This is one game. And given what we’ve seen the past few seasons, it’s one that’ll likely be overshadowed the next time he hits the court.

It'll take one typical performance to make everyone forget about LeBron's terrible Game 1

LeBron James’ cramped Game 1 performance led to plenty of mockery from fans. It’ll take one normal game for him to make (…)

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